Klaran™ UVC LEDs for disinfection now available for delivery

May 12, 2016
Asahi Kasei Corp.

Crystal IS, Inc., a subsidiary of Asahi Kasei, announces its new commercial product line targeting applications for UVC disinfection of water, air, and surfaces. Crystal IS’s first generation disinfection product line, Klaran™ became available in May 2016.

Klaran™ UVC LEDs feature peak wavelength of 250–280 nm and world-leading germicidal output powers of 15 to 30 mW. With light emission in the vicinity of 265 nm—the wavelength most effective for disinfection, high output, and a small footprint, Klaran™ affords unprecedented flexibility in the design of disinfection products and systems. Applications are expected to expand to include healthcare, home electronics, and various other fields where UVC disinfection of water, air, and surfaces had previously been impractical.

With increasing global awareness of environmental risks associated with the use of mercury, as exemplified by the Minamata Convention on Mercury adopted in October 2013, there has been a heightening need for a UV light source to replace mercury lamps that are currently used to disinfect drinking water, to produce ultrapure water for laboratory use, etc.

Having basic technology in single-crystal aluminum nitride (AlN) substrates, Crystal IS continues to advance R&D for UVC LEDs together with Asahi Kasei, which has technology to manufacture electronic devices.

Crystal IS began mass production and sale of Optan™ UVC LEDs in April 2014 for analytical and instrumentation applications, and Optan™ has been adopted in water quality analysis equipment, DNA analysis equipment, etc.

With its two product lines of Optan™ and Klaran™, Crystal IS will continue to cultivate new markets that leverage the features of UVC LEDs, and expand its business by advancing technological development while reinforcing its manufacturing capabilities.